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Why do freelancers need insurance?
Depending on the type of work you do, you could find yourself in any number of sticky situations, such as:
- Giving negligent advice that leads to a client losing money
- Legal expenses, including contract disputes, employment disputes
- Accidentally causing an injury for a client or customer
- Causing accidental damage to someone else’s property
One of the most common reasons UK businesses give for not having business insurance is feeling like their business is too small2. This leads to many businesses being underinsured, as they don’t believe a small business can accrue the same level of damage as a bigger one. But it’s important to remember that the size of your business doesn’t equal the harm that can be caused.
No matter how small the business or how careful you are, nobody can predict when an accident might happen.
That’s why you need business insurance.
What covers are best for freelancers?
Suited to:
Businesses who give advice and/or offer professional services
Protects you from:
Claims from clients who’ve lost money after following negligent advice or using your services
Cover limits:
Between £100,000 and £5 million (depending on your occupation)
Covered for:
- A client losing money because of following your advice or using your services
- Complex issues such as confidentiality breaches, defamation, copyright breaches etc
- Making mistakes
Useful to know:
- Most professional bodies will require you to have professional indemnity to become a member
- Specialist polices are available for certain professions such as accountants for example
- Professional indemnity is also available to certain trades occupations
Suited to:
All businesses who interact with the public
Protects you from:
Claims that you’ve caused injury or property damage to a third-party
Cover limits:
Maximum cover of £10 million†.
Covered for:
- Accidental injuries or property damage caused by your business
- Automatic extension for products liability
- Covered for incidents that involve your business but occur outside of your premises
Useful to know:
- Most public authorities or larger businesses will require the businesses they work with to have public liability
- If you need to prove you have cover, you can get a certificate of public liability or professional indemnity from your online account
- Even businesses ran completely online need public liability – especially if you’re selling products
Suited to:
Businesses who have a premises
Protects you from:
Accidental damage or theft of your contents
Cover limits:
Varies depending on what you have to insure and the value of those items
Covered for:
- Accidental damage or theft of your contents
- Damage caused due to fire, flood etc
- You’ll get access to a 24-hour emergency helpline for when you need it most
Useful to know:
- Even people who work from home can get business contents to protect things like laptops, tablets, mobile phones etc
Can I get any optional extras with my policy?
Yes, there are several optional covers that you can add to a policy depending on the extra cover you need. For example:
- Business equipment to protect the things that keep business running, such as laptops, tablets, printers etc
- Legal expenses insurance helps you with any legal troubles facing your business, for example, taxes, data protection or contract disputes
- Personal accident cover helps if something happens to you as the business owner, such as an accidental injury on the job
Protect your business with AXA and Future You will thank you
If you’re ready to start your own business and make your hobby into a money spinner, AXA is there for you if the worst should happen.
With a range of covers you can tailor to your own business’ needs, get covered today and Future You will be thankful.
What kinds of claims does business insurance protect me from?
There are many different things that could go wrong when it comes to running a business. Having business insurance in place can protect you from some of the most common ones, such as:
- Slips, trips and falls – this is one of the most common types of claims that can catch any business off guard - from a client tripping over a loose charger cable during a business meeting to an employee taking a tumble.
- Accidental damages or theft – whether you’re an artist with a van full craft supplies or a consultant with the latest laptop, no business is exempt from the possibility of theft or accidental damage.
- Losing a client money – if clients rely on your advice to help them make business decisions, then there’s a lot riding on your shoulders. Sometimes, things slip through the cracks and a client takes a loss at your hands.
How much does freelance insurance cost?
AXA customers pay from £84* a year for business insurance. However, the cost of business insurance varies depending on the products and optional extras you choose.
View our policy documents
If you need a little more detail about a certain product to make sure our policies suit your specific needs – look no further.
Here are the latest versions of our product policy documents as of January 2025.
Here you’ll see the full details of the cover, including any cover limits and exclusions.
Frequently asked questions
All links are checked and valid at the time of publishing, March 24th, 2025.
1Based on the number of businesses insured by AXA across the UK and Ireland as of February 7th, 2025.
2https://www.money.co.uk/business/business-insurance-statistics
†Not all occupations are eligible for £10 million coverage, the best way to find out which level of cover you are eligible for is to get a quote. Existing customers may want to consult their policy documents.
*10% of our customers paid this or less between October and December 2024.